Sizer and grader



A. M; OQUINN. SIZER AND GRADER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 30. I920.

1,429,7 4, PatentedSept. 19,1922.

4 SHEETSISHEET 1.

A M. OQUINN.

SIZER AND GRADER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 30. 1920.

mzmmo Patented Sept. 19, 1922,

4 SHEETSSHEET 2- a p amen/ oz I p flyzmw Af/i W RN

-A. M. OQUINN.

SIZER AND GRADER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3 .1920.

1,429,764, PatentedSept. 19, 1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

A. M. OQUINN.

SIZER AND GRADER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 30,1920.

Patented Sept. 19, 1922 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

ll atented Sept l2, i222 barren snares;

ARTHUR-M. OQUINN, OF MIAMI, FLQRIDA.

' SEZER AND GRADERI.

Application filed July 30, 1920. Serial No. 400,057.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR M. OQUINN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Miami, in the county of Dade and State of Florida, have invented a new and useful Sizer and Grader (Case A), following is a specification.

The device forming the subject matter of this application is adapted to be employed for sizing grape fruits, oranges and other fruits, and the invention aims, primarily, to provide novel means for adjusting the position of certain of the sizing rollers with respect to others of the sizing rollers;

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the invention appertains.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that, within the scope of what is claimed, changes inthe precise embodiment of the invention shown can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

in the drawings-:- a

Figure 1 shows in longitudinal section, a device constructed in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a transverse section; Figure 3 is a top plan; Figure 4c is a fragmental side elevation showing the means whereby one of tne tracks is adjusted ,vertically; Figure 5 is a fragmental transverse section showing the means said track; Figure 6 is a. fragmental sectional view showing the rollers and the frame which carries the rollers; Figures 7 and 8 are diagrams alluded to in explaining the operation of the device; Figure 9 is a fragmental elevation showing a slight modification in the invention; and Figure 10 is a j perspective view disclosing one of the track members.

The structure forming the subject matter of this application includes a frame 1, which,

need not be described in great detail, be-

cause its construction, to a large extent, is amatter of carpenter work. These portions of the frame which have peculiar functions "will be alluded to as the description proceeds. in one end of the frame 1, a shaft 2 of which the for adjusting the.

bers 22.

is journaled, a shaft 3 being journaled in the frame at the opposite end thereof. There are sprocket wheels 4 on the shaft 2, the shaft 3 being supplied with sprocket wheels 5. A shaft 6 is journaled in the frame-intermediate the ends of the frame, sprocket wheels 7 being mounted on the shaft 6. A fixed table 8 is located adjacent to the shafts 6 and 3.

The invention comprises a conveyor made of chains Qengaging the sprocket wheels l, .5 and 7, the chains being supported on iongitudinal beams 25, forming a part of the frame work of the machine. Main rollers 10; are journaled at their endsll in the chains 9. Frames 12, one of which is shown in Figure 6, are mounted to swing vertically on the journaling elements 11 of the rollers 10, auxiliary rollers 14 being mounted to rotate in the frames 12, as indicated at 15. The intermediate portions of the [Ml-shaped frames 12 carry slats 37, located between the rollers 10 and it. The rollers 10 and, 14 are supplied with circumferential grooves 16. The lower runof the belt conveyor above described traverses longitudinal supports 17 constituting a part of the frame 1.

The invention comprises a fixed track 18, preferably in the form of angle members at tached to the beams 25, the ends of the main rollers 10 riding along the track above defined, the rollers being provided at their ends with rings 38 which prevent the ends of the rollers from being worn by contact with the track members 10. The ends of the auxiliary rollers 1d are provided with bands 19 cooperating with wear strips 20 on beams 21 constituting a part of a track, the beams 21 being supported on cross members 22 which are upwardly extended intermediate their ends as shown at 28, in Figure 5, to form shoulders cooperating with the inner surfaces of the beams 21;, the beams 21 being connected tothe cross members 22 by securing elements 24:.

The lower ends of screws 26 are secured as indicated 27, to the ends of the cross mem- The screws 26 are threaded into worm wheels 28 supported on brackets 29 carried by the frame 1, the brackets having bearings 30 in which transverse shafts 31 are journaled, the shaft 31 being provided with worms 32 which coact with the worm, wheels 28 at each end of the cross member Mill size of oranges .rollers being varied accordingly.

which a wrench or key may be applied.-

Oppositely inclined deflectors 35 are'locatedbetween the upper and lower runs of the conveyor, the deflectors discharging on packing tables 35 or upon anv other suitable instrumentality adapted for the reception of the fruit Referring particularly to Figure 1, it will be noted that the rollers 10 and 14 travel along the inclined table 8, before arriving at a point where the sizing operation is begun. This construction, also not obligatory, is desirable, because it permits the articles which are to be sized.- to be distributed in rows, longitudinally of the rollers 10 and 14, before the sizing operation begins. At the time that the sizing operation begins, the fruit is distributed in rows, and is not delivered in a mass, choking or overloading at the inception of the sizing operation being avoided.

It, will be obvious that the inclined table 8 may be of any desired length. ,and if the table 8 is long enough, it will be possible for operators to stand adjacent to the table. and efi'ect a partial grading by hand, according to quality, maturity, color and other considerations, before the sizing by the rollers 10 and 14 is begun. The construction above alluded to renders unnecessary,

the use of separate grading tables, in connection with the sizer, as .is the common practice in packing house constructions.

In practical operation. the shafts 31 may 'be rotated, the worms 32 cooperating with the worm wheels 28 to raiseor lower the screws 26, and consequently, the tracks comprising the parts 222120. In this way,

the position of the auxiliary roller 14 of one pair may be adjusted with respect to the main roller 10 of an adjoining pair, thesize of the grading openings between the A wide range of adjustment is possible, so far as sizing fruit pf different sizes is concerned. Thus, as iiidicated at the left hand end of Figure 7, the rollers may beset, as shown at 50, for the largest size of oranges, the grading running down to the smallest as indicated at 51.

.Similarly, as shown in Figure 8, the rollers may be set as v shown at 52 for the largest size of grapefruit and be graded down to the smallest size"of'grape-1 fruit, as indicated at 53 in Figure 8, the smallest size grapefruit ordinarily being about the same size as the largest orange.

There are a number of advantages arising out of the fact that the rollers 10 and 14 are provided with the circumferential grooves 16. For instance, since the rollers are grooves as aforesaid, the fruit. will be given such a rollin motion that the fruit will be sized accor ing to that portion of Leaopee the fruit which approximates most closely a true circle, this sizing taking place in a plane substantially atright angles to the axis of the fruit. Since the rollers are grooved circumferentially, the fruit will be prevented from moving longitudinally of the rollers and jamming against the side portions of the frame. Again, since the rollers are grooved, the fruit will move through the machine from one end there of, to the other, in a strai ht line. Thus, two or' more lines of fruit may be run through the machine from end to .end. at the same time, one line of fruit never becomingmixed with an adjoining line of fruit. Since the fruit, owing to the presence of the circumferential grooves, cannot move longitudinally of the rollers, the fruit intended for one of the deflectors (Figure 2) will never be deposited on the other of the deflectors 35.

Owing'to the fact that the rollers 14 and 10 traverse individual tracks, and since these tracks cooperate with the lower portions of the main and auxiliary rollers, the said rollers will be rotated. in the same di rection, when the conveyor is adi'anced. -A more effective sizing is brought about. owing to the feature last above alluded to,and the likelihood of the fruit becoming jammed or mashed is reduced. In this connection, it will be observed that the slats 37 serve to prevent the fruit from being caught between the rollers which do not cooperate.directly with each other to effect the sizing operation. Both ends of the track 222l20 may be raised or lowered inbefore described are designated by numerals previously used, with the suflix a. In this form of theinvention, the track members 70, along with the rollers 14 comprise parts 71 disposed at an angle to each other, with, respect to the horizontal. .Each'track member 70 is providedin one end with a notch 72, wherein a tongue 73 on the end of anadjoining track member is received. The tongue 73 and the opposite end of each track member 70 are supplied with openings 74, which may be in the-form of slightly elongated slots. The screws 26 at the op-- posite sides of the machine are connected by a rod 74, corresponding, in function at least, I

to the member 22 of F1gure2, the rod being received in the openings 74.

ings wherein the members 21 are supported at a point midway between their ends. Not

ing Figure 9, it will be observed that one part 71 of each track member 70 is disposed horizontally. 'Ihe sizing operation takes place whilst the roller 14: is traversing the aforesaid horizontal part 71. Whilst the roller 14 is traversing the inclined part 7-1 of the track member, the roller adjusts itself to begin the sizing operation.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is axes of the rollers.

" main rollers to define grading openings of l longitudinally of the rollers toward the I a part disposed at an angle to the first track.

2. In a sizer and grader, a frame; a conveyor traversing the frame and comprising main rollers, and auxiliary rollers movable on the conveyor toward and away from the adjusted sizes, the main and auxiliary rollers having clrcumferential grooves which cooperate to prevent the fruit from moving frame. 1

3. In a sizer and grader, a conveyor comprising main rollers, and auxiliary rollers movab e toward and away from the main rollers to define grading openings of different sizes; and separate'means for receiving. the fruit after the fruithas passed between the rollers, the main and auxiliary rollers having circumferential grooves delivering the fruit to said members. 7 I

4. In a sizing machine of the class described, main and auxiliary grading members disposed in pairs, the auxiliary member of each pair being movable with respect to the main member'of said pair; track sections along which the auxiliary member pass; means for' adjusting said sections to vary the space between the auxiliary and main members of adjoining pairs; and a .fixed tack along which all of said members pass to effect a distribution of the material to be sized, on said members, and before the auxiliary members cooperate with the adjustable track sections,

5. In a sizer and grader, a conveyor comprising main rollers, and auxiliary rollers movable toward and away from the main rollers to define grading openings of different, sizes; a first track traversed by the main rollers; a second track traversed by theaux- -iliary rollers and comprising members pivotally united at their ends; and means connected with the ends of the members of the second track for raising and, lowering said members. V

6/ A sizer and grader constructed as set forth in claim 12, and further characterized by the factthat each member of the second trackcomprises a part adjustable into approximate parallelism to the first track, and 

